The Comedian's Secret

On Process & Performance (Comedy Mindhacks #52)

I used to think being a comedian went something like this: get up on stage, make people laugh, go home, feel good about yourself. I was wrong, totally wrong. When I started doing stand-up, I obsessed over each performance. Did they laugh? Did I kill? Did I bomb?

Early on, I was just trying to come up with funny stuff, and it was really hard. Then I realized something that changed everything: I need a process. I saw a quote by John Maxwell recently that reminded me of this: “Value the process more than the event.” I totally agree. As a comedian, this means the hours I spend writing, memorizing, and rehearsing matter more than the 10-30 minutes or so I spend on stage.

And let me tell you, I’ve seen it happen countless times where a comedian brings a funny idea to the stage, the audience waits, they want to laugh, but nothing happens. The comedian only has a premise, a cute observation, or a silly thought. What they don’t have? A fully formed joke! The difference is clear and shows up immediately. One comedian gets consistent laughs, the other gets polite silence.

I learned this the hard way, through trial and error: when a joke bombs, it tells me something went wrong. Maybe I lost the audience, maybe my timing was off, maybe I forgot my words, or maybe I never wrote a complete joke in the first place.

My point is: a lot of comedians skip the hard work. They bring premises instead of jokes. Here’s what I mean by a fully formed joke: at minimum, it has a setup and a punch that work together. That sounds simple, but getting there takes work.

My process now includes several steps. I write full jokes, not ideas, not observations, but complete jokes with proper structure. If a joke is in good form and I think it’s funny, I try it on stage. I get feedback by watching my shows back, listening to recordings, workshopping jokes with other comedians, and studying what works. In my view, a joke is always open-ended, and I can always make it better. It’s never done.

Getting a process takes time and discipline. It’s not as exciting as just getting on stage and winging it. But it works. And it’s so necessary. I’ve watched talented comedians either plateau or bottom out. They’re naturally funny, people like them, but they don’t grow. The reason is usually the same: they have no process, or they have a broken process. They’re not generating new solid material, they’re recycling the same premises or they’re hoping inspiration strikes.

Meanwhile, comedians with a solid process keep improving. They write consistently, they test methodically, they refine relentlessly. The gap between these two groups gets wider every year. The work doesn’t end when I leave the stage. That’s where the real work begins. After shows, I try watch or listen to my performance because I can’t fix what I don’t see. I critique myself honestly, asking what worked, what didn’t, and where did I lose them. I workshop the material by talking to other comedians, studying similar jokes, and looking for patterns.

This feedback process matters as much as the writing process. This is where I learn, this is where I get better. So, if you’re reading and want to shift from being performance obsessed to process focused, this is where you start. Find a trusted process by looking at what good comedians do and studying their methods. Don’t reinvent the wheel. Adopt and adapt it by taking what works for others and making it work for you.

Every comedian’s process looks a little different. Perfect a process that works for you through repetition because, in time, the process gets easier. With practice what feels hard now becomes automatic later. I won’t lie to you. Building a process is hard work. But mastering the process early on allows you to write jokes with ease later on.

And here’s the truth: your process determines your ceiling. If you have no process, you’re limited by inspiration, and inspiration is unreliable. If you have a broken process, you’re limited by your mistakes, and you’ll keep making the same ones. If you have a solid process, you’re only limited by how much work you’re willing to put in.

Maxwell was right: the process matters more than the event. For comedians, that means our writing processes and feedback processes matter more than any single performance. So, build the process, trust the process, perfect the process, and the performances will take care of themselves.

INSTAGRAM: Friends, I’m trying to grow my Instagram presence. It would mean a lot to me if you could follow me HERE. Thanks.

JOKE WRITING COURSE: By the way, if you have any interest at all in learning about your persona, how to write some jokes, or doing stand-up comedy, check out my online joke writing course, “The Joke Writer’s Lab,” HERE.